Our take on: Underwhelming Everglades deal & Seminole's FCAT success

If Gov. Charlie Crist hoped to generate a public relations ripple from the decision last week to buy and restore some U.S. Sugar land polluting the Everglades, it's not happening.

No wonder. The governor's original 2008 plan was to buy out U.S. Sugar's 187,000 acres and operations for $1.75 billion. While too generous, it offered a credible path to help clean and rejuvenate the River of Grass.

In contrast, this latest version won't manage much.

The state would acquire just 28,000 acres of polluted citrus and cane parcels for a still overly generous $197 million (Environmentalists agree the state needs about four times as much acreage to clean the Everglades).

It's not certain that the deal would get the courts to back off the state, which they say hasn't done enough to protect the Glades. And the South Florida Water Management District only has "conceptual" plans of what to do with the land it would buy.

All of which explains the missing ripple. But where's the backlash?

Seminole's success

For weeks, late FCAT scores and questions over their validity demolished public confidence in the state's accountability cornerstone.

Like many other districts, Seminole County Public Schools called attention to what district officials considered anomalous results.

Now that the dust has settled, Seminole's faith in the scores appears shored up.

A good report will do that.

Long rated an "A" district, Seminole FCAT scores leapt from seventh last year to third best in state this year.

The state crunches percentages in eight categories, including students who meet high standards in the three Rs and also learning gains among the lowest 25 percent in reading and math.

District officials deserve a pat on the back — as do Seminole teachers who lay the groundwork for student success.